You Light My Life Like a Lumos Spell
by Fearless.Stargazer
Summary: It's Verity's first year at Hogwarts and she's in for an interesting year. Interesting in a good way, of course. With the dynamic red-headed duo of Fred and George with her, what could possibly go wrong?  Please, don't answer that! Spells,drama,& pranks.
1. Chapter 1

It was an unusually dreary day for September, the rain falling in never ending sheets of dull azure. The roads were crowded with mud-sloshed cars and taxi cabs, each filled to the brim with anxious passengers. Street upon street was jammed, vehicles crawling at a snail's pace (mind you, that snail had been stunned and then hit with a beaters bat). All in all, things were moving quite slowly on the roads that lead to Kings Cross Station. Just a normal commuting day in England.

Despite the sluggishness of the traffic, however, certain cars managed to move a bit _too_ fast and suddenly through the streets-taking the more experienced drivers by surprise. These cars tended to be the ones painted in curiously strange colors. One particularly large orange Ford Angelina swerved, much to the distaste of the taxi cabs in the neighboring streets, across three lanes of traffic and onto a ONE WAY lane (Needless to say the car was not going in the right direction). Horns honked and drivers swore.

"Daddy! S-S-STOP it!" one of the orange Angelina's passengers wailed from the back seat of the car, eyes shut in terror.

"We aren't g-g-going the right way!" The eleven-year-old girl screeched as her father took his hands off the wheel and straightened his tie.

"Shush, Verity! I'm trying to _drive!_" The speaker/driver of the car cried enthusiastically as he moved the steering wheel back and forth pointedly. The driver was in his early forties with trimmed, light brown hair. His dark brown eyes sparkled in amusement as he spun the car into a more suitable lane.

"Ah-_driving. _Not the most well thought out inventions of those damn muggles, eh? Seems to me like it would be a lot easier if they just apparated. Even _walking_ would be faster than this." Verity's father waved his wand, allowing the car to navigate itself along the slippery road. The man then looked around to observe his fellow drivers.

"Such a useless task, driving is. Oy! Is that the Johnson family?" He grabbed the wheel of the car once more and veered sharply up to a shiny black car. He cranked down the window and took up a chat about the uselessness of cars and the like with Angelina Johnson's father.

The girl in the backseat whimpered at the sudden turn and then uncovered her eyes to look into the Johnson's car. In addition to Angelina and her parents was Alexia-Angelina's tall, stylish sister, who was going into her last year of schooling. She looked so confident and at ease with her life. Angelina, however, looked almost as nervous as the girl herself.

"Verity-we're almost there, so gather your things. Here's a thought-why don't you sit with Angie on the train?" Verity looked up at the mention of her name. Her father closed the window.

"Yeah…sure…" Verity combed her short, blond hair out of her crystal blue eyes and gathered up the loose pages of the sketch book that she had been filling. Stuffing her wand behind one ear and a charcoal pencil behind the other, Verity sighed in relief as the car smoothly turned into the Kings Cross lot.

Her father took the key out of the ignition and spun it around his finger.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" He grinned proudly. In his black slacks and business coat, it was almost impossible to tell that this man was the head of the Ministry of Magic's banking industry in league with Gringotts (MMBIILWG). The only thing that gave him away as magical was the flashing green and silver tie that was tucked neatly into his jacket.

A memento of his own Hogwarts years, the tie flashed phrases like _"Slytherin Quidditch-the best without a guess!" _and _"Slytherin House- Intelligent and cunning…don't you wish that you were one of us?" _

"Dad-your tie…" Verity's voice faded into the noise of honking horns and clicking car motors.

"Not this nonsense about my tie again! I'm positive that all my fellow alumni will be showing an equally astounding vigor to strive to uphold each of their House's sacred names!" He smiled genially and then set to work on unloading the car's unnaturally spacious trunk.

"Was Angelina's dad…" Verity began, but her father knew her all too well. He finished the sentence before her voice took on a stutter.

"Supporting his House? Of course not! Sometimes I forget why I hated Gryffindor and the like as a child-" He laughed good-naturedly, "We always thought that they were such gits! Now, I'm not going to say that you should avoid Gryffindors…but be very wary of the people you associate with. You deserve a nice group of _intelligent_ friends." He moved his lips around the word as if it intelligence was something that was hard to come by.

"I remember when Lucius and I used to come across lone Gryffindors in the corridors…lets just say the paintings on the fourth floor don't like to be used as projectiles…Anyway, all I'm saying is, people will due cruel things…I mean….err…." He paused for a moment, trying to think of the right words to say.

"People will make snap judgments about you without getting to know you first. Make sure _not to_ give anyone an opportunity to bully you. Hopefully, the feelings that the Houses have towards one another will have significantly changed. One can only hope…"

Slytherin will be good for you, you'll see." He paused as though about to say something, but then shook his head.

"What is it, Dad?"

"Well, err, I already wrote to the Head of the Slytherin house about you-personal old friend of mine, really-"

"You did WHAT!" Verity was panic-stricken. She could not believe the audacity of her father! Hogwarts was supposed to be like a blank page in her sketch book-one she could fill with _anything._ Hogwarts was going to be the place where she would get to be whatever she wished to be on _her _terms. This teacher would ruin simply _everything!_

"Well-just told him about your nerves concerning school…you know…asked him to look after you…" His smile slowly faded. "Verity, it's good to actually have someone on your side. You don't have to be a loner all your life." His green tie flashed "_You're a LOSER!" _pointedly. "You need friends and people to enjoy your life with."

"I am _not_ a loser!" Verity yelled angrily as she wrenched her trunk from her father's grasp and began to run to the Station's entrance. Her father looked confusedly after her.

"I never called her a loser…" he mumbled to himself, straightening his tie feebly as he rushed after her clutching her ticket to his chest.

"Verity! Wait!" But she had already disappeared into the rain.


	2. Chapter 2

Verity did not get very far after she disappeared through the large doors of Kings Cross Station. Immediately she became lost in the bustling crowd of commuters. She stumbled through the chaos, having no idea where to go or what to look for. After five minutes, fatigued and defeated, she slumped against an empty trolley. She closed her eyes and imagined herself back at home, lying in her bed.

Sure, she was nervous about going to Hogwarts, but not as much as her father thought that she was. He thought that she was a stupid little girl who was shy around others. However, she was never as shy as he thought that she was. She had only distanced herself from the half brained muggles in her school for reasons that she had never confessed to her father. They had always poked fun at her "eccentric" parents and the weird things that always seemed to happen when she was around. She hoped that at this school, distancing herself from the rest of the world would not be necessary. She just wanted a few friends, a handful of good grades, and to be generally liked and accepted by the faculty and students. She hoped that that would not be too much to ask for.

There was just one other thing she was worried about. The _S_ word. No, not the S*** word. The S******** word. SLYTHERIN. Her whole family had been in the House in their Hogwarts days, and she did not want to disappoint anyone, but she knew it was not the one for her. She had heard so many stories of the oh-so-high–and-mighty Slytherins that appeared to "rule the school." Those stories, despite how amazing and glorious the actions of the Slytherin were, always ended up sounding conceited when they entered Verity's ears. And if there was one thing that she did not want to be, it was a braggart. Slytherins also sounded like bullies, and Verity was certainly not one of those, either. Her father was constantly talking about his "glory days" at the school. These anecdotes usually encompassed giving someone a beating with Lucius Malfoy, who had once been a close acquaintance of his. Verity knew that her father was not a typical Slytherin, but she did not want to follow in his footsteps. She knew that she did not belong with a group of bragging idiots.

"Hey, are you actually going to _use_ that trolley, or are you just going to use it as your own personal lounge for the rest of the day?"

Verity looked up, blushing, to see a tall boy with flaming red hair towering over her. His nose had a sprinkling of freckles and his mouth was split into a wide, mocking grin. He looked to be about her own age, wearing an awkward red sweater that clashed horribly with his bright hair. She quickly jumped up.

"What business is it of yours?" She inquired, sweeping her hair out of her eyes as she haphazardly grabbed for the handle of her trunk. Who was this boy and what the heck did he want?

"Oh, actually, it's no business of mine at all." His grin grew impossibly bigger.

Verity opened her mouth to give him a smart response when she was startled by a yell from within the crowd: "LOOKOUT! I GOT ONE FRED! COMING THROUGH!"

She turned around to see a boy, identical to the red-headed one before her, barreling through the crowded station pushing a silver trolley as fast as his lanky legs could carry him. The boy suddenly realized that he was about to hit a particularly elderly woman in a bright purple dress and attempted to stop the trolley short. In the process, however, the boy knocked over several bags, a trunk, and a particularly nasty-looking Tabby-cat's cage.

The cage's bolts burst as it hit the ground, flinging the Tabby through the air and onto the now stationary boy, who was lying, spread-eagled, on the ground next to his cart.

"Fred! FRED!" He yelled as he rolled around on the ground, fighting the cat. The boy standing next to Verity looked at her sheepishly.

"Sorry 'bout him. Sometimes he's a right pain in the arse."

The boy on the floor, still trying to detach himself from the obese cat, called out, "You're a pain in the arse, Fred! Now get-this-thing-off-me!"

The boy, whose name was apparently Fred, walked over to remove the cat from his brother's red sweater. Fred handed the cat back to its disgruntled owner, and helped his brother up.

The two were identical to the last freckle, except for the claw and scratch marks on the other twin's face.

"Well, that was quite an event." Said the scratched up brother, dusting off his clothes.

"Look at your face! Mum's going to have a right old fit when she sees you!" Fred yelled at his brother, smacking him jokingly behind the head.

The boy rubbed at his cuts, a smile playing across his face. "Well if you'd been a little bit faster in the cat-removal process, maybe this could have been avoided!"

"It's not my fault you ran into that old muggle's rubbish!"

"It's not my fault I'm related to such a git of a cat-tamer!"

They grinned in unison and wheeled around to stare pointedly at Verity.

"He's Fred." Said the scratched up one, pointing at the healthy-looking brother.

"He's George," Said Fred, pointing towards scratched-up George, who bowed.

"And in case you haven't guessed, _I'm_ the _hotter_ twin."

Verity giggled as George glared at Fred.

"In what world are you _hot_?"

"In what world are you _clever_?" Fred responded, mimicking George's sarcastic tone.

Verity giggled again as George pulled his face into a ridiculously exaggerated pout. Verity could tell that they weren't really fighting, just entertaining her. She flashed a tiny smile from behind her hands and then leaned closer to them to whisper, "You're both…_wizards…_right?" Verity tensed, waiting to be called crazy by these two very funny, very _cute,_ boys. She could have sworn that she had heard them use the word _muggle_.

Fred glanced at George out of the corner of his eye, and George glanced back, still rubbing absent-mindedly at a cut with his thumb.

"Err…"

"It's okay," Verity whispered, gaining some confidence at seeing that she was not the _only_ nervous one about going to school, "I'm a witch…You're going to Hogwarts, right?"

"Errrrr…" Fred pointed behind her, and she whirled to be staring face-to-face with a very angry looking, reddish-brown-haired woman.

"Fred! George! Where have you been? I've been searching for you both for the past ten minutes! I told you to get a _trolley!_ I honestly didn't think you could mess up such a simple task as _that_."

Fred smiled weakly, and George stepped forward.

"But we _were_ getting a trolley, mum! I was just asking, er-"

"Verity." Verity said, causing the twins' mother to notice her for the first time.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, dear, were Fred and George bothering you?" The woman looked down sternly at her sons. "I apologize. They're under the impression that they're the best pranksters the world has ever known, and they can't resist a good victim to try out their 'pranking genius' on. I hope they didn't cause you any trouble." She smiled warmly as the boys blushed identically.

"No, Mum! We were just asking Verity if she was using her trolley. We didn't do anything wrong!" George tried to persuade his mother.

"Why, George! What has happened to your face!" His mother asked.

"He's just naturally ugly." Fred whispered under his breath. George shot him a venomous glance that conveyed his message perfectly;_ I'll get you back for that later_.

Fred and George's mother immediately began fussing over George, pulling from her handbag a tube of healing cream and a long, thin, twig like stick of wood, about 13 inches long…

"You _are_ wizards!" Verity whispered to the family.

"Yes, dear. And you? Will this be your first year at Hogwarts?" she smiled as she tried to rub the sunscreen-like cream into George's face with her wand.

"Yes, it will be." Verity nodded happily.

"I'm Molly Weasley, and it seems that you've already met two of my sons, Fred and George. It's to be their first year at Hogwarts as well." Fred smirked as his mother put the cream and her wand away, leaving George's face with a series of different colored smears of cream and a frown.

Mrs. Weasley looked down at the star-spangled watch on her wrist.

"It's nearly time! The train will be leaving in 15 minutes! Oh, dear, we must be going!"

She hurriedly pulled out two bright tickets from her robe with a flourish.

"Here's for you-Fred-and George…" She distributed the tickets hurriedly to both of her sons.

"I'll meet you two at the platform-I must go talk to Percy about his problem! It was wonderful to meet you, Verity, dear! I hope you have a wonderful year at Hogwarts!" And with that, she was off, bustling through the crowds of grumpy Englanders.

Verity turned to Fred and George.

"Well, that seemed to go better than expected." She smirked.

"Yeah, if you like being a walking rainbow! I should just wear a sign that says, 'Hello world, Hex me now!'" George angrily rubbed the multi-colored healing cream off his freckled face.

"Aww, come on. I think it looks _cute._ Maybe it'll help you to get girls." Fred laughed as George aimed a kick at his leg, catching the side of Verity's trunk with his trainer instead.

"Come off it! We'd better go, or we'll be late!" George frowned, hopping on one foot.

They turned to leave. Then, remembering Verity, added in unison, "Want to sit with us on the train?"

"Sure!" Verity called after them as they left to gather their trunks. Several minutes later, they returned, pulling two very battered trunks behind them. Verity looked at her own new trunk and attempted to place it onto the trolley. However, it was simply too heavy for her tiny, slim arms, and she staggered and fell with the weight. Instantly, the twins were at her side.

"You alright?" George asked her, as he and Fred removed the trunk and threw it onto the trolley with a soft _thud._

"Yeah….I'm fine…" Verity looked at the large bruise blossoming on her arm.

"Hey George, got any more of that rainbow cream?" She said sarcastically, smiling at him. Fred began to laugh hysterically.

George smiled wryly and rubbed his finger across his forehead. "As a matter of fact…" He whipped the remainder of the cream on her arm. "There. It looks good on you." He grinned.

Fred and George snagged two trolleys and walked alongside Verity. Together they laughed and smiled as they walked towards platform nine and three quarters and into the unknown.

As the trio made their way to the platform and disappeared into the crowd, a dripping wet figure stepped through the threshold of the station's entrance. Looking round nervously for his daughter, flashing tie now tactfully hidden beneath his jacket was Verity's forgotten father. Clutching to her Hogwarts train ticket as if it were he were a drowning man and it was a lifeline, he stepped smiled sadly as he watched the figure of his daughter slowly recede into the haze of the crowd. She was only 11, and he was already losing her.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Harry Potter, or Fred, or George...I don't _really_ own Verity if you want to get technical but she's only mentioned like _once_ in the book so I like to pretend that I own her _character..._at least in this story I do... Anyway... Hope you enjoy! :) Tell me what you think! I know the ending to this chapter may be a bit corny and that the story is starting off abit slow-but I'm working on a pretty awesome plot line! So please bare with me while I get through the very begining! Thanks! Please review and enjoy! :) ~Fearless Stargazer**

***P.S. 50 points to your House if you figure out what the owl's name is derived from/means and post it on the REVIEWS section!***

**LOL Read on! ;p**

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George lead the way to platform 9 ¾, maneuvering a very old and rusted trolley through the crowded masses. Fred walked next to Verity as George forged ahead, searching for the correct platform.

"So, do you have any brothers or sisters that go to Hogwarts?" Fred leaned over to whisper the last word into Verity's ear, lest someone (like a muggle) overhear him.

"No, it's just me-I'm an only child. Wish I had some siblings, though, it gets oftly lonely sometimes…" She thought back to all the times that her parents hadn't had any time to play with her or the times they had left her with the annoyingly Barbie-doll like baby sitters that had gone to the local high school. She had a brief flashback to the time that the fake blond haired Missy Crawkler came to watch her while her parents went off to some benefit program. With fake smiles and glitter, Missy had forced Verity to go to bed at 5:30 in the afternoon, talking on her cell phone well the night's dinner burned on the stove.

Fred made a sympathetic face.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't have so many siblings-well, besides George, he doesn't count. But I can't stand always being lost in the shuffle of Bill, Charlie, Percy, Ron and Ginny…" He grimaced.

"I think this is it!" George called back to them, checking his cheap blue plastic watch, "Nearly five minutes till boarding!"

Verity stared at platforms 9 and 10, perplexed.

"Where is it?" she asked, looking round for the scarlet train that she had heard so much about from her father.

"Where's what?" Fred asked, making sure all of his possessions were on the trolley and not in any danger of toppling over.

"The train! Where's the train? And…where's the platform?" She asked, noticing that there was no sign between platforms 9 and 10. Where the platform should have been, there was just a wall.

"Well, it used to be over there…"said George, pointing to an empty lounge to the left of them.

"At least it was when Bill went here…" Fred smiled reminisantly, "Remember that time when we set all the owls loose while Bill left us to go get a trolley?"

"How could I forget?" George laughed, "They all tried to attack that old woman wearing the vulture hat!"

"Ummm, I think we have a bigger problem then vulture wearing women and owl attacks." Verity said aloud, confusedly staring at the musty lounge.

"You're parents _are_ wizards, right?" George and Fred looked at Verity expectantly. She nodded.

"Didn't they tell you how to get through to the platform, then?" Fred asked as Verity shook her head no.

"Well, you're in luck, then! It just so happens that we are _experts_ at running into walls! We'll show you!" George grinned widely as he turned his trolley to face the wall between platforms 9 and 10.

"Wha-" Verity began, confused beyond belief, as George began to run, full speed, at the brick wall.

"George-no!" But words failed her as George disappeared in the blink of an eye. There was no crash, no flying trunks, George was just _gone._

"Ladies first, then." Said Fred, with a sweep of his hand and bowing to her deeply.

"Where…what…George…" Verity sputtered, head spinning.

"The wall's a magical barrier. Just run towards it and you'll go through." He smiled. Suddenly, Verity looked panicked. "Don't worry. You'll be fine, I promise."

Verity took a deep breath and looked away from him, locking her gaze on the wall before her. Why hadn't her father warned her? Speaking of which, where _was_ he anyway? Surely he would not _leave_ her at the station to fend for herself? And besides, she thought with a sudden pang of fear_, he had her ticket!_

In a sudden rush of adrenaline brought on by fear and a little bolt of excitement, Verity bolted towards the thick wall. Just as she was about to hit it, she closed her eyes. When she did not feel any crashing sensations, she opened her eyelids cautiously and her jog slowed to a stop.

She turned through a cloak of train-smoke to see Fred emerging through the wall behind her. He caught up, "not bad, eh?"

Verity smiled in relief. "I didn't honestly think I was going to make it through." She breathed deeply. And Fred smirked.

"Let's go," he said, "Hopefully George hasn't gotten harassed by Mum yet." With that, they set off through the smoke until they saw the huge and spectacularly scarlet Hogwarts Express.

"Wow." Verity was in awe, suddenly realising the enormity of where she was about to go.

"Yeah, beautiful, isn't it?" He said, staring at a nearby fifth years new broomstick. The polished wood of the Complexity 150 glittered in the light.

"Newest model, only 4,850 released in Britain. Official broom of the Whales Whackers. On the market at 450 galleons. Directional system and non-flipping spell installed, it's the hottest broom since the Crusader." He marveled at being so close to such a superb racing broom.

"Err…I was talking about the train…" Verity giggled as Fred closed his mouth and tore his eyes away from the broom.

"Oh…yeah…" Fred blushed, "it's equally as good-looking…" Verity laughed harder.

They walked through the platform which by now was crowded with wizarding and muggle families alike. Everywhere, mothers were giving last minute hugs and fathers were loading trunks on board the train. Verity and Fred spotted Mrs. Weasley (who was giving George a bone-crushing hug) and hastened towards her.

"Oh Freddy! I just can't believe that you're finally leaving for school!" sobbed into George's shoulder. "Why, I remember when you were just learning how to and you accidentally set your baby books on fire using magic!"

Fred whispered into Verity's ear, "I did it on purpose, actually." He winked.

"Mum-" George squirmed in her embrace. "Mum I was only joking, I'm not Fred-" But Mrs. Weasley was not listening, for she had spotted the _real_ Fred next to Verity.

"Oh, George!" Mrs. Weasley flung herself into Fred's arms and renewed her sobbing. She hugged her other son while George tried to silently escape from behind her.

Fred turned bright red, clearly mortified.

"MUM!" He tried to disentangle himself from the hug. Mrs. Weasley looked around and spotted George, who was creeping towards the train.

"Fred-Fred! Wait until you're father comes back to see you off! He's just gone off to show Ginny and Ron the Muggle newspapers at that old stand on platform 8. Oh I'm going to miss you too so much!" She began to sob even harder into Fred's shirt, drawing looks from passersby.

"Mum-we'll be fine."

"You promise? No pranks or jokes or explosions? Mark my words, George or Fred or whoever you claim you are, if I receive one letter, if I get just one-" Mrs. Weasley suddenly became menacing and stern, but was cut short by Fred.

"We'll be fine mom, like I said. You don't have to worry about us." Fred crossed his fingers behind his back so that only Verity could see.

"Who knows? Maybe you'll get a letter about what model students we are! I feel that our _talents_ in the fine arts of tom foolery will help us to excel in a new learning environment!" George chimed in, returning just in time to Mrs. Weasley's side as she threw her arms around both of them sadly.

"Just be careful boys-accidents happen, I know that, but _purposeful_ accidents often do more harm than good."

Just then, a balding middle age man with red hair bounded through the crowd, holding the hands of a young boy who looked about nine years old and a little girl who looked even younger. Both had flaming red hair that matched the twins' and were flushed with excitement as they took in the steaming scarlet engine before them.

"Look at that!" said the little boy, pointing with his free hand, "I _told_ you it was huge and had the Hogwarts crest on the front! Told you! Now cough up! You owe me 2 sickles!"

"Daddy!" The little girl began to cry.

"Ronald, do not make bets with your sister! You know that gambling is wrong!" Mrs. Weasley scolded the boy.

"Sorry Mum." The little boy, Ron, mumbled into his chest, ears turning bright red. "It's just that…Fred and George took _my _2 sickles last Friday, and-"

"FRED! GEORGE! Is that true?" Mrs. Weasley turned towards them angrily.

"Well, goodbye all! We simply must be off!" Fred shouted, backing away quickly.

"Yeah! We've got some homework to do, O.W.L.s to take, spells to learn….you know…" And with that, George grabbed Verity's hand and backed away too.

"Love you! Bye Dad!" Yelled the twins as they made a beeline for the train. Fred grabbed Verity's trunk and whipped it into the train, jumping up after it.

"Wha-?" Verity began to ask about the hasty departure.

"Believe me; you don't want to see Mum in a right rage. It might convince you not to hang around with us." Fred smiled warily.

"She's a character Mum…and don't even get us started on Dad…." George added. Verity smirked.

"They looked quite nice to me." Verity fingered the charcoal pencil that was hidden behind her ear her wand at this point stored securely up her sleeve.

"Come on-let's get a compartment. We don't want to have to sit with any losers…" George began to walk down the train's lavish corridor, Fred in tow.

"You coming, Verity?" Fred turned to look questioningly in her direction. "Verity?" He asked again, for she had become stone still and was staring in the window unseeingly.

"I forgot it…" she mumbled, voice quaking.

"Forgot what?"

"My…My…ticket." She said, snapping out of her panic-induced reverie.

"Where did you leave it?"

"My…my Dad…"

But she near finished her sentence, for a large black owl flew through the empty door behind them and perched itself before Verity on a metal handrail. It held its leg aloft and squawked impressively.

Verity untied a tiny envelope from the owl's leg, recognizing the handwriting on the cover at once as she did so. She opened the note inside and began to read the quickly quill-scratched parchment.

_Dearest Verity,_

_I'm sorry I couldn't find you in time to see you off, and I never got the chance to give you the little surprise that I had been planning all month either. I hope you understand that I did not mean to embarrass you at all with my tie, and was just attempting to do what I thought was best for you by writing to Professor Snape. I hope you can understand that I care a lot about you, and I'm merely worried about you as every father is when his daughter leaves for the first time. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, you'll always be my little girl despite how old you grow. Enjoy your first year at Hogwarts and write often. Can't wait to see you during the holidays._

_Love from,_

_Dad_

_P.S. This owl is you're going away present. I had planned her arrival differently, but I hope you like her all the same. Her name is __Aquila and she's a special rare breed of owl and has some very special qualities that I hope will both surprise and dazzle you._

Verity turned the parchment over to find her train ticket clipped inside. She sighed, feeling incredibly guilty for leaving her father out in the rain.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own any Harry Potter Characters! Some characters thrown in the next few chapters are mine, though! :) Well, enjoy! Warning: THe next chapter is alittle wierd XD **

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The owl hooted softly from her perch and Verity looked up as she wiped away a tiny tear of guilt that had formed in the corner of her eye. The owl was beautiful. She had dark black feathers that shimmered like a starless night sky. But as she looked more closely she saw that, painted on the owl's wings, were several large and sparkling golden stars. Possibly this was one of those surprises that her father had mentioned in the letter?

"Verity? Are you still with us? Hello? Anyone home?" Fred tried to get her attention.

"What? Oh-oh-Fred. My Dad just sent me my ticket." Verity flipped the ticked back and forth between her fingers in astonishment. "And this owl. Apparently she's a present?" Verity looked back down at the letter.

"How am I going to get her to Hogwarts? I don't have a cage or food or-" But Fred cut her sentence short.

"Verity…the owl can _fly_. And owls-I don't know if you knew this-they can hunt and find their _own_ food. They can live at the school's owlery. Perce told me about it before he started to ignore George and me."Just set her out the window, she'll follow the train to Hogwarts."

Verity looked doubtfully at the owl.

"Are owls that…err…smart?" She asked. The owl hooted indignantly.

"Only owls from Diagon Alley-they're raised for this kind of work. I'm assuming your dad got it from there?"

"I suppose so…that is where we got Blue Jay…my family's owl." She added in response to Fred's puzzled look.

"An owl named Blue Jay?" He asked incredulously as he struggled to keep his laughter level.

"It came with that name…I wanted to name him something cute…like Thistle…or something classy…like Roger." She smiled as Fred began to laugh deeply.

As Fred laughed, Verity patted the owl lightly and then opened up the compartment door as the train began to move. "Go!" She called encouragingly as the owl nervously flew out of the moving train. Verity shut the door firmly and then grabbed the handle to her trunk.

"So, your brother ignores you and George? Why?" She asked, after his laughter had abated.

"Not quite sure…I think he's angry at us or something…I mean the sticking paste on his tooth brush was purely a mistake! As was the rash powder that found its way onto his pillow." Fred said thoughtfully, scratching his chin. Verity began to laugh as he said, "It's not by fault he has such perfect oral hygiene and brushes his teeth at least five and a half times a day! Although…after about the third time I think was when he began to notice that he couldn't un-clench his teeth…at least he didn't yell…" Verity fell to the floor in hysterics, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Shall we?" She asked Fred, gesturing delicately towards the mostly occupied train compartments in between boughts of laughter.

"We shall!" Fred called enthusiastically, already half-way down the corridor. He slipped into a compartment and Verity excitedly followed. She would soon be at Hogwarts-she could hardly wait to see the huge towers and secret passage ways she had heard so much about!

She stepped into a small, well lit compartment to see Fred and George attempting to secure Fred's luggage under the seats. Verity got out of the way just in time as a Fizzing Whizbee zoomed out of his unzipped bag and out into corridor through the open compartment door. She was also forced to dodge several chocolate frogs as well as a sugar-spun fairy that had flown from the luggage as Fred and George tried to force it into a too-small space.

Verity fit her own bag neatly beneath a chair after grabbing her sketchbook from inside. She turned to a clean page and began to sketch the twins as they wrestled with the bag futilely. After capturing their posture and forms in charcoal, she began to add the details of their faces with a ballpoint pen based on memory. It was fifteen minutes before she realized that they had long ago ended their fight with the luggage and were now staring intently at the flat piece of paper Verity was leaning over. A blush crept across her cheeks slyly as she dropped her pen and attempted to hide the sketch paper.

"Sorry I-" She began, ready to apologize if they were offended by her renderings.

"That's wicked amazing! Bloody Hell, George! That looks just like us!" Fred grabbed the paper from Verity's hands and looked over it with great interest.

"Look how got the way you lean when you stand perfectly…and look at how she made our faces…" Fred traced his finger slowly around the charcoal lines before reverently passing on the picture to George.

"Wow. How did you learn to do this?"

Verity shrugged, embarrassed. "I guess I just kind of…err…taught myself?" She answered weakly. No one (besides the occasional exceptions of her mother and father) had ever looked at her work before, let alone praised it. She smiled in spite of her misgivings when it came to sharing such a personal part of herself with others.

"Well-keep going, don't stop now!" George cried as he thrust the paper back into Verity's hands.

"How do you want us to pose for you? We can make muscles…"

"Besides nudity and the exploitation of animals, we'd do anything to break into the modeling business." George said sarcastically, winking.

"Get me from the left side, please, I'd hate to see the public see my bad side…" Fred pretended to be a fashion model, striking a variety of poses while George and Verity pretended to snap pictures with imaginary cameras.

After a few minutes of laughter and model banter, Verity returned to her sketching while Fred and George played a rather rowdy game of exploding snap.

She was just completing the last of the shading on George's hair when there was a timid knock at the compartment door.

"Come in!" Fred and George yelled as one.

The handle turned and in walked a boy who looked about eleven. He was already wearing his new Hogwarts robes. He had dark skin and short dreadlockish hair.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" He looked around apprehensively, taking in the twins (part of George's eyebrow was singed and Fred's bangs were blackened from their game) and then sketch book holding Verity, who was sitting contently in the corner clutching her pencil.

"'Course you can, mate!" Fred moved over and made room for the boy. "What's your name?"

"Lee, Lee Jordan."

"Wonderful to meet you, Lee! I'm George, and this is Fred. She's Verity. Welcome to Compartment Del Weasley. Set your gear down and let's party!" George stood on top of the seat and did a little dance. Fred and Verity rolled their eyes as George bowed deeply.

Lee laughed along with them as a plump witch pushing a cart filled with sweets knocked on the door.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" She asked, her motley outfit striking against the backdrop of the dull train corridor walls.

"Yes, please!" Verity pulled out her small money bag from her pocket as Fred, George and Lee did the same.

"Let's see…" said Fred to George, pouring the contents of his bag into his hand. Shiny galleons and sickles glittered up at him. "I think we can spare a sickle or two on a couple of chocolate frogs…"

George smiled and looked through his own bulging bag of change. Fred answered Verity's questioning gaze.

"We've been saving up our money all year," he said. "We're going to go to Zonkos-the joke shop in Hogsmeade- and buy a year's supply of pranks and wrong-doing merchandise!" his face split into a grin identical to George's.

"But…isn't there a rule against first and second years going to Hogsmeade? Plus, didn't your mother say that if she heard anything about you two prank-"

"We know perfectly well of that rule, yes. And our mother did vaguely mention something about ending our joking ways…" George began.

"But we wouldn't be being true to ourselves if we didn't joke around and engage in some tomfoolery every now and then…" George threw in, with a Saintly look on his face. The shine in his eyes clearly conveyed that refusing to joke would be a crime against human nature.

"As for that rule…well, the way we figure it, generations of pranksters and sneaks have gone to Hogwarts over the years, so there must be at least a dozen secret passages leading out of the school! And if there aren't, we'll just have to make some." Fred finished off, smirking triumphantly. "Once we get into the school and analyze the floor plan…I'm sure we can find something…we've gotten a lot of reliable intelligence out of old Percy. He's always bragging about the secret hallways and such that he will use to catch wrong-doers when he becomes Head boy…" Fred rolled his eyes.

"George's got the plans in his bag….but; of course this is strictly confidential information." He shot a glance at Lee, who was now out in the hall, purchasing some of Juniper's Jumping Gumdrops.

"May I see them?"

"Maybe…if we decide this guy is trustworthy. He thrust his thumb in at Lee, who was now chasing assorted flavors of gumdrops down the corridor as they bounced out of reach.

"Well, better go get sweets before he tramples all of the good stuff." Said George, as Lee tripped over the trolley in his dash to capture his snack. It was clear that Lee had less grace then a Giant in a china emporium. However, he managed to get most of his sweets back into the box by the time Verity, Fred and George had reached the nice-looking witch's trolley.

"Hmmm…a package of chocolate frogs and a bag of Broom Breakers please." Fred gave the witch a few knuts and sickles as George grabbed some licorice wands and sugar quills.

"I'll have a cauldron cake and four bags of Bertie Bott's every Flavor Beans. Thank you." Verity handed over three sickles and five knuts as the witch passed her the order. She followed Fred and George back into the compartment and distributed the candy among its occupants.

"Wow, thanks Verity!" George said enthusiastically as he tries to help his brother to remove a blue jaw breaker from his mouth.

Fred coughed and spluttered until he managed to get the broom breaker out from between his teeth and into the palm of his hand. It split open in a cloud of glitter to reveal a small model broom.

"_YES!_ The _Raider 2012!_ I've been looking for this one for two years!" Fred punched the air as he pulled out his wand.

Lee walked in looking mischievous as Fred tossed him a bag of beans.

"As it turns out, I bought the last box of gumdrops." He smiled. Verity glanced at Fred and George out of the corners of her eyes. Both looked equally as puzzled as she felt.

"So?" George asked, popping a purple bean into his mouth and grimacing as he swallowed. "Ugh. Beef Jerky with frosting flavor."

"Well…let's just say that I'm not the _only_ one who likes that particular brand of candy."

"Just tell us when you reach your point-I'll be in the corner sleeping until then…" Fred stretched and let loose a fake yawn as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Well, there was a boy out there who offered to buy them off me…and when I refused he threatened me that he'd jinx my eyes to…well, it wasn't a very friendly spell that he described. So, I decided to let him have the candy, free of charge. But I never told him the catch." Lee grinned widely.

"Catch?" Verity asked, munching on one of George's sugar quills.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be seeing quite soon…"

Fred and George looked mystified. It was clear that they hadn't thought of pranking anyone on the train.

Fred diverted his attention to the tiny model broom in his hands.

"What's the spell that Bill does again? Oh…yeah…_ Motiviula_." Nothing happened. But after a few tries, the tiny collectible broom began to fly around the compartment.

"Wicked!" Lee shrieked as the broom took a nose dive and missed his nose by a few centimeters. "I got the _Shooting Star_ a few weeks ago but compared to this one it looks like junk."

The boys then went on to discuss brooms well Verity returned to her sketch. She added some shading, some shadows and erased some lines until the door burst open in a cloud of fury.

"IS JORDAN IN HERE!" A huge boy looked round the compartment. He was quite tall for an eleven year old-he looked about 19. At 6 foot four, the boy could easily wrestle a crocodile (or a mutant crumple horned snorcack). His muscles bulged threateningly. The only thing that was not frightening about this picture was the small group of eleven year old boys angrily gathered behind the huge man, and the fact that the man's eyebrows and hair were streaked hot pink.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Sorry if this chapter gets alittle wierd... :) And I don't own Harry Potter...yet. Maybe someday I'll win the lottery and I'll be able to buy the rights to one of the minor characters like Crabbe or Goyle...or maybe Moaning Myrtle... XD ~Stargazer**

* * *

"THERE YOU ARE!" Boomed the freak of nature. Verity thought for one terrifying second that he might be a teacher, but quickly changed her mind as the man grabbed the back of Lee's shirt collar.

Lee attempted to scramble away but could not escape.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU DO TO ME!" The man yelled into Lee's ear, spittle hitting Lee's dreadlocks.

"Nothing! Honest!" Lee lied unconvincingly. It was clear by the fearful look plastered on Lee's face that he had done _something _to the man.

"What's wrong?" George asked in an unnaturally calm voice for the given circumstance. It sounded almost as if he were politely inquiring the time.

"HE TURNED ME INTO THIS!" The man screamed, enraged. He tossed Lee against the window with a force that created a few cracks to appear in the misty glass.

"And what exactly did you used to be?" Fred asked, scratching his chin perplexedly.

The man waved his arms angrily in response.

"Hm. I see." Fred turned to George. "Apparently he was a bird before Lee dealt with him. Well, nothing a good spell can't fix." Fred said sarcastically as he began to wave his wand randomly, muttering gibberish. The other first years backed away, scared of Fred's magical abilities. But the ugly giant of a man merely roared and took a step towards Verity. He swept her sketchbook up in his gigantic hands and threw it against the window as well so that it landed on Lee's head.

"CHANGE ME BACK! NOW! !" He stamped his foot as if he was a child throwing a tantrum. His face was turning redder and redder.

He took a few more steps towards Lee when a voice reached the compartment from down the hall. "What's all this, then?"

A few seconds later, the first years looking in on the drama quickly scattered into neighboring compartments as a tall and gangly red-haired teenager wearing neatly pressed school robes and horn-rimmed glasses entered the compartment.

"Hey Perce!" called Fred from behind the giant, who was glaring down at him menacingly.

" 'Bout time you showed up! We were getting worried!" George smiled weakly as he helped Lee up.

"What appears to be the problem, sir?" Percy Weasley asked in a confident and stern voice.

"THAT-THAT BOY TURNED ME INTO THIS MONSTER WITH HIS CANDY!"

Fred and George looked at Lee in disbelief.

"You-?"

"No-"

The twins were awestruck. Verity, however, was completely confused. She was still cringing in fear and praying desperately that her sketchbook had not been harmed after its flight.

"You there. What exactly did you do to this man?" Percy directed his attention to Lee.

"I'M ELEVEN!" The man yelled loudly.

"Right-um, what did you do to this _eleven-year-old_?"

"I-I-" Lee said weakly from the corner, "I took some of my Mum's color changing potion before I left home and I-" Lee sniffled a little, "Put it on my jumping gumdrops…"

"I see…" Percy pointed his wand to the door and said, _"Accio Potions Kit!_" Instantly, a small bag containing potions ingredients zoomed into Percy's outstretched hand.

"I just happen to have a potion that might help here…bit of frog's eye, tail of a Sherby and a dash of sugar…it's kind of like a reversal potion."

"Like Control-Z on a computer?" Verity piped up.

"What's that?" asked Percy, scrunching up his eyebrows in confusion.

"Never mind."

Percy turned back towards the angry man, who was now a dark shade of purple. He looked like a wild animal about to pounce.

"Here, drink this-" Percy held up the vial and the man thrust the contents into his mouth. Instantly, he began to shudder and to shrink. After about 30 seconds, he was two feet shorter and was rapidly losing his beard. His frame thinned and his hair shortened a bit. Within a minute, a skinny eleven year old boy with dark black hair and pale, sallow skin stood before them. He was no longer purple and was instead a deep embarrassed red.

"Now what is it that you wanted to say to Lee?" Fred asked, raising himself to his full height- a whole head above the boy standing before him. The boy looked back defiantly, yet his light blue eyes reflected a flash of fear.

He threw a dirty look in Lee's direction. "D-d-don't _ever_ go s-s-slipping potions in my food again! Or-or…" The boy paused.

"Or what? You'll stutter us to death?" George winked.

The boy scowled and stormed out of the compartment.

"Wow…maybe I mixed the wrong potions…I didn't know mum could make such a good anger draught." Lee stared, transfixed at the compartment door as Percy stowed his potion ingredients and vials in his bag with a wave of his wand.

Percy turned to Lee sternly. "You shouldn't have done that! Why-if I were a Prefect-"

But what Percy would have done if he were a Prefect, no one ever knew, for Fred cut him off. "Yeah, Perce. We know you're aspirations to join the ranks of the Prefects in all their Prefectdom, but if you don't mind-"

"We've got some important business to attend to." George finished as they pushed Percy out of the compartment and into the hall.

"But-wait-Just one second-" Percy tried to assert his authority but was not nearly as strong as both of the twins put together.

"See you at dinner!"

"Save us seats at the Gryffindor table!"

"All the best, mate!"

"Cheers!"

The boys called some other things to Percy as they closed and locked the door behind him. Fred closed the curtains and George began to rummage through his bag.

"Ah, don't worry 'bout him." George said, as Percy attempted to force his way through the door _without_ using his wand.

"He's a bit of a nutter. He can be a genius, really, but sometimes he doesn't really _think_. Take now for instance…he should finally realize that he has a wand in three…two-"

A bang issued from the Percy's side of the door along with some heavy swearing.

"What'd you reckon he used?" Fred turned to George conversationally.

"Probably one of those big '_reducto'_ or explosion curses that he's always bragging about having the ability to do."

George nodded in agreement.

"How come he can't get back in using magic?" Lee piped up.

"Because…" Verity began, trying to recall her father's exact words, "'the compartment doors are bewitched with an anti-curse charm. They can't be affected by minor spells and such…' But I think that more powerful spells would break that enchantment…Or at least that's what I read in Hogwarts, A History under the train section when I was little…"

"They don't want kids killing each other before they learn to duel." Fred added as they heard Percy stomp back to his own compartment.

"Is Percy in Gryffindor?" Verity asked curiously.

"Yeah, of course! Our whole family had been… Mum, Dad, Bill, Charlie, Percy…" George ticked off his fingers.

"We'll most likely be there as well." Fred said.

"We'll _definitely_ be in Gryffindor as well." George corrected him.

Verity glanced at her watch as she thought about her chances of getting sorted into Slytherin, like her father. "Oh my gosh! We're nearly there!"

"We'd better get our robes on…"

A half hour later, the train began to slow and eventually came to a stop at Hogsmeade Station. A few prefects had come round to direct the youngest students.

"You'll just have to go out the doors and then follow Hagrid." A tall, bookish boy with stormy grey eyes told them as he stopped by their compartment. "He'll get you to where you need to go."

"Who's Hagrid?"

"And when do they sort us?"

Fred and George eagerly asked the grey-eyed boy as he turned to leave.

"Hagrid's the school's gamekeeper. And as for the sorting, that'll take place after you get to the castle, but before the feast. Good luck-hope to see at least one of you in Ravenclaw…" and with that, the boy went on to the next compartment of first years.

"Well…I guess we'd better get going…" The train doors had just been opened by several of the older students. Fred and George began to pull out everyone's trunks as Verity packed up her book and pencils.

As they got out into the compartment, a third year called out through the crowd. "GOOD LUCK FIRST YEARS! HOPE THE GIANT SQUID DOESN'T DROWN YOU!"

"Giant squid! What are we doing-_swimming _to the castle?" Verity asked discontentedly.

"Dunno."Shrugged Fred, looking equally as distressed. "Percy, Bill and Charlie didn't ever say anything…"

They stepped off the crowded train and followed the mass of other first years scrambling up the road.

"All firs' years this way!" A loud voice carried through the crowd.

"Leave yer things an' follow me!" Verity looked forward to see the biggest person she had ever seen in her life come into view. He was at least the five times taller than Fred and George, wearing a large overcoat and holding one of his huge hands aloft to wave the first-years toward the road, the other holding a lantern. His eyes were barely visible under a mane of wild black hair.

Verity, Lee and the twins dropped their belongings in a pile by the other hundreds of trunks and pet carriers. After a few minutes, the giant had gathered almost all of the first years and began marching up the road. After a few minutes of walking, the giant lead them out of Hogsmeade village and out onto a large dock. It was there that they got their first view of Hogwarts.

"Oh my!" Everyine sighed in awe as they looked across a large lake to see the towering Hogwarts castle.

"It's beautiful!"

"Wicked!"

"How do we get across the lake?"

The giant quieted the onslaught of excited whispers with a wave of his hand.

"I'm Rebus Hargid, Gamekeeper here at Hogwarts. I'm goin' ter take you across in those boats to the castle. After that you'll be sorted and then off to the start 'o term feast."

The first years all turned to look below the dock. A thin, rickety ladder extended down from the dock and onto another platform to which about 20 or so old row boats were tied, each bearing a blazing lantern.

"Five per boat! Quickly, now! We have a schedule to stick to! Professor McGonagall'll have my head if yer late!" Hagrid the Gamekeeper called as Fred scampered down the ladder, followed by George.

" Come on Verity!" Fred called as he and George hopped into a boat. It rocked violently for a moment but gradulally retuned to its resting position. Verity looked down, unsure.

"Are these…safe?" She asked Lee nervously. He shrugged.

"It's Hogwarts. There are bound to be some risks. But, hey, its all been done before, right? We'd of heard if any of the students had been snuffed off by the staff on their first day. It would be in the _Prophet_, wouldn't it?" Lee smiled reassuringly as Verity clambered down the ladder and walked over the the twins' boat. She stepped shakily into the boat as Fred and George grabbed her hands to hold her steady. Lee stepped into the boat as well.

A few minutes later, every boat was filled and the stragglers were being filed into the open seats. A tall, brown haired boy came to step into the twins' boat.

"Mind if I sit here?" He asked them all, but his eyes were only on Verity. He spoke with a thick Australian accent.

"Sure." She blushed as he sat down next to her.

"I'm Will." He said, reaching out to shake her hand.

"Verity." She shook back. Will went onto shake the twins' hands and then Lee's before the boat gave lurch and began to move rapidly away from the dock. Verity, startled by the sudden movement, fell onto the boat's floor. There was a scramble as the four boys each tried to help her up at once.

"Th-Thanks." She dusted off her robes as the lanterns illuminated her face.

Fred, George and Lee began a "quiet" game of exploding snap to break the silence as the boats cut cleanly through the glassy water of the lake.

She glanced at Will, who was now staring up at the sky contently. Verity looked up herself, and saw that the night sky was ablaze with stars. She had never seen so many before.

"It's a clear night, perfect for stargazing." Will whispered softly.

Verity turned back to stare at him.

"uh…sure."

"Look, there's the big dipper…and there's Orion's Belt…and Polaris…" He pointed, tracing the constellations with his fingers. He looked back at he and then dropped his hand to his side.

"Sorry…" He grimaced, embarrassed. "Stars are kind of my thing…I can be kind of a weirdo sometimes. I grew up in Australia when my parents were part of the Ministry's International Buisness office. We used to live out on this isolated farm…only way around was to apparate… But it was great! We could see every single star around the Southern Hemisphere since there wasn't any light pollution! We only moved back last year so I could come to school…"

"No, don't apologize." Verity laughed. "That's really cool! Besides…I'm an art freak." She leaned in and whispered, as if to love art was a scandalous activity.

Will smiled.

"So, are your parents still working for the Ministry?"

"Oh, yeah. They're moving to China for the next year. But we're going back to Aussie next summer holiday."

"Were your parents muggle born?" Verity asked, leaning her head forward to rest her chin on her palm.

"My Mum was. My Dad's a half-blood, though. You?"

"My parents are both pure bloods, but my mother works in a muggle business, so I know how to use computers and stuff like that." Verity shrugged.

Will broke her gaze and looked towards the castle shore. "I think we're almost there!" He said, and everyone looked up in anticipation.

The boats drew nearer to the shore, rocking slightly as it did so.

"What house do you think you'll be sorted into, Will?" Verity asked apprehensively, suddenly nervous as she remembered the sorting that loomed ahead. It seemed that the sorting would not only decide her House, but the rest of her life.

"Ugh…" Will made a face, signifying that the sorting made him nervous as well.

"Well, my mum was in Gryffindor…but my dad was in Hufflepuff. So, I'm not totally sure. Hopefully I _won't _be in Slytherin though. There are some bad blokes there from what I've heard…"

Verity was tempted to defend Slyhterin for a moment, but then thought the better of it. She feared her answer to the question if Will asked about her parents' Houses.

"What Houses were your paren-" But Will's sentence was cut short as the boat suddenly lurched sideways to the right and threw the five of its occupants into the icy September water.


	6. Chapter 6

When Verity woke up, the last thing that she could remember was sinking into the depths of darkness. She had seen the light of the moon and all those silly twinkling stars fade as she sank deeper and deeper into the mist of the water. She had slowly drifted out of consciousness as she struggled to get to the surface, something pulling her down by the end of her thick, black robes.

_I must look like a Dementor_. She thought as her robes had spun around her and blocked the meager light from her eyes completely. _Billowy robes…billowy robes…_

Seconds had stretched on. Her lungs had been burning and the crushing weight of thousands of gallons of water above her had crippled her body and kept her from moving up more than a few inches. She had kicked with all her might at the creature or object or whatever it was that had clung so desperately to her robes. But she was fading into oblivion. Her mind began to leave her as she began to succumb to the darkness and open her mouth for a full breath of water.

And just as she began to black out, she had seen the shimmering image of another black, billowing creature moving towards her. Its head set ablaze by a halo of bright red. And then the dark world had swirled into nothingness.

"Verity! Verity?" A woman's voice cried out anxiously.

Verity slowly disentangled herself from her thoughts. _It must have simply been a dream_, she mused. _ is probably just waking me up so we can get to the train station on time…Hogwarts…I'm finally going!_" She opened her clear blue eyes excitedly, only to receive a complete shock as she took in her surroundings.

She was in a huge room, grander and larger than any she had been in before. The walls supported cathedral-sized windows that let in the starlight and blackness of the sky. Lining the walls were blue-sheet covered hospital beds and curtains, each warm-looking bed was painted with glittering stars that sparkled as the light hit them. Standing over her was a plump and kind looking witch who was staring down at her apprehensively.

"Are you alright, dear?" The woman asked, withdrawing a wand from the pocket on her starch-white apron and making the lights a little brighter.

"Where am I?" Verity turned her head around to look towards the door at the end of the room, only to feel a burst of pain at the back of her head. She reached up to feel heavy bandages draped around her blond hair like a crown.

"Where does it hurt, dear? I didn't want to perform any healing spells before I knew exactly where…" She trailed off as Verity pointed to a spot on the back of her skull.

"_Episky maxima…reparo celebria…" _The plump witch continued her spell work for several seconds, waving her wand in complex figure-eights and X shapes. Verity felt the pain in her head subside and then disappear completely as the woman worked her magic.

"What happened? What _is_ this place?" Verity asked as the witch sat down tiredly on the edge of an adjacent bed. Verity tried to recall what she had been doing and what had happened, but found that she could not even recall what she had had for breakfast!

"This is the Hogwart's Hospital Wing, and I'm Madam Promfry, Head healer here at the school." She said, drawing herself up proudly.

"You took quite a few hits to your head when you toppled out of that boat. I'm not quite sure _how_ you fractured your skull…but I suspect it had something to do with the Merpeople…they've been in bad sorts lately. Ever since the Ministry tried to remove them from the lake and transport them to the African Congo for a 'Scientific Study,' they've been Mad as Hatters. I told Dumbledore to wait until we'd settled the matter with them before we let students cross the lake. But did he listen? No, of course not! Besides, what does a Healer know about Intermagical-creature-relations!" She threw her hands up into the air exasperatedly.

"Hogwarts?" asked Verity weakly, struggling to sort her thoughts as the day's events rushed back to her.

"Did anyone else get hurt? How did I get out?"Verity asked, observing that her clothes were dry and clean.

"Yours was the only boat that flipped, and the other four boys are quite fine. One of them pulled you out, actually. One of the Weasley boys…brother of Percy, that delightful boy from Gryffindor…Fred, I think."

"Wait…Gryffindor...Oh no! Did I miss the sorting?" Fear reflected off Verity's bright eyes as she thought about the rest of her year being sorted without her. What if it was too later and they could only hold a sorting once a year? Would they send her back home?

"Oh, don't look so glum! Here, we'll go get you sorted right now!" Madam Promfry jumped to her feet and pulled Verity up as well.

"Quickly, now, before they start the feast…"She murmured, checking a light blue pocket watch that dangled from the pocket of her apron.

They ran through corridors and past empty classrooms. Ghosts whirled around through the walls, intent to get to the feast as well. Finally, Madam Promfry stopped in a marble white entrance hall, and pushed open a pair of huge, dark wooden doors with a wave of her wand. Verity heard the sounds of about a thousand people talking at once.

"Well, go in, then!" Madam Promfry pushed Verity forward and shut the doors behind her.

Verity looked around to see the most beautiful room that she had ever seen in her life. Huge columns of marble spiraled up to meet a star-spangled ceiling. Thousands upon thousands of softly glowing candles were suspended in the air, their light reflecting off cathedral-sized windows. Hundreds of students crowded the long benches that were tucked beneath four large, empty wooded tables. As soon as the door shut, hundreds of hat-topped heads turned to see the latecomer. Verity shifted on her feet nervously, unsure of what to do. Up ahead of her, about a dozen or so teachers sat on a raised platform that supported a fifth staff table.

Verity glanced around, mentally begging for help as she stood by the door stupidly.

"Quiet, please! Alas, it seems that we have one last student to sort!" A voice boomed through the Great Hall, echoing as the chatter died down.

Verity looked up to see that the owner of the voice was a rather tall old man wearing half-moon spectacles and long, periwinkle robes. The man stood up, his long white beard trailing down the front of his robes as he walked from his seat to the middle of the platform, where all the students could see him.

"Professor McGonagall, if you please!" He called as a rather stern looking witch wearing a pointed hat stood up and waved her wand. A long scroll of parchment flew to her hand and a low, three legged stool set itself down on the floor.

"Mason, Verity." Professor McGonagall called, motioning for Verity to come forward.

Verity obliged, hesitantly, and trudged between two of the long tables in the center towards the stool. All eyes followed her as she walked deliberately to the professor, trembling slightly.

"Now just sit on the stool, dear." The Professor whispered sympathetically, as Verity glanced quickly around the room, wondering why she was being subjected to such humiliation. She looked at each table and then caught sight of Fred and George waving wildly at her from a table to the far right of the hall. Lee Jordan sat down next to them, looking excited, as the twins jumped onto the benches and put their thumbs up towards the ceiling.

And then, for the _second_ time that night, everything went black.

Verity's head whipped around in panic-what had happened? Was everyone in the dark? Where were the candles? Where were the professors? And then, she heard a small voice in her ear.

"_Ah….another Mason….we haven't seen any of your kind here for at least two decades…"_

"W-What!" Verity whispered, still searching for a pinprick of light.

"_Now…where to put you…where to put you…You have a clever mind…perhaps Ravenclaw would be appropriate….or possibly Hufflepuff…loyalty and truth are highly valued among the members of the House…"_

The voice paused, as if waiting for a response. When Verity said nothing, the hat continued.

"_You have a long connection to the Slytherin house, I know. I've sorted thousands like you…the intelligence you have is not unlike your mothers…" _The sinister voice crooned.

"I don't want to be labeled and judged based on my parentage." Verity whispered angrily, despite her fear. "I hate flashjudgements; I wish to be sorted for who I am and not for whom I am related to." Verity's face heated up as she nervously whispered the words.

"_I see…then I believe an appropriate House for you would be…GRYFFINDOR!"_ The darkness abated as Professor McGonagall pulled the sorting hat off of Verity's head, and a roar of cheering met Verity's ears. She ran down the steps of the teacher's platform and into a sea of Gryffindors waiting to high five her and pat her on the back.

In awe, Verity looked towards the Slytherin table where her mother and father had once eaten at. She wondered if the hat had made the right choice. She spotted the depressed-looking kid that Lee had poisoned on the train earlier sitting at the table next to a pair of dark haired girls. She stared at the hostile faces of the Slytherins for two seconds more before Fred and George pulled her into a seat between them. The white bearded professor rose to speak again.

"There are several words that I would like to say before we begin our supper. This term, we will be having a change in our staff. Taking the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be Professor Axel Specter." A tall, handsome pale wizard with shadows beneath his eyes stood up and waved morosely to them all. He looked young, perhaps about thirty year in age, but quite tired and worn. He returned to his seat rather unhappily as whispers engulfed the crowded room regarding the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"You reckon he'll teach us some good hexes?" Fred whispered across Verity to George.

"Hmm…I dunno…looks kind of like a vampire, doesn't he? Maybe he'll teach us how to turn into bats!" George waved his arms up and down enthusiastically.

"No, no. That would be Transfiguration class." Fred looked behind him to see a transparent man dressed in finery.

"I am Sir Nicholas, ghost of the Gryffindor tower. Pleasure to meet you all."

"Good to meet you Nick." George smiled, reaching to shake Sir Nicholas' hand. The ghost's hand passed through George's as Dumbledore cleared his throat to end the murmuring.

"Also, Professor Sprout will be starting up a Herbology club, should any of you wish to further pursue the vegetary arts. A signup sheet will be posted in each common room. And now, to the feast!" Dumbledore raised his hands impressively and suddenly the four long house tables were piled with immeasurable amounts of food.

"Wicked!" Fred and George breathed as one before filling their plates. Verity laughed as she grabbed some chicken pot pie.

The hall had a cheery, warm feeling about it as hundreds of students ate and laughed. Verity smiled as she finished her dessert and gazed around at her fellow Gryffindors. All were merry and smiling as they finished up treacle tarts, pudding and ice cream sundaes.

Within the next ten minutes, the talking and laughter died down and Albus Dumbledore stood at the front of the room once more. He clapped his hands and the countless plates and goblets of food and drink melted into nothing.

"Now then, I trust that you have all enjoyed the start of term feast. Before we are off to bed I have just a few reminders and announcements. Mr. Filch would like me to kindly remind you that dung bombs, fanged whizbees, and other joking paraphernalia are banned. For the full list of banned objects please look to Mr. Filch.

"As for trips to Hogsmeade, only third years and above with parental consent will be permitted to go to Hogsmeade this year on the dates posted in the common rooms. I'd also like to remind everyone that entering the Forbidden Forest is, well, _forbidden_. I won't go into any more detail about that subject, for I feel that it is quite self-explanatory." The old man's eyes twinkled from behind his half-moon spectacles as students laughed tiredly.

"And lastly, I would like to caution students from wandering the corridors afterhours as they will be subjected to detentions and other punishments if they are caught. And now, I wish you all goodnight and good luck. To those returning, may your first day back be pleasant. And to those who are joining us for their first year, I hope that your entrance into magical education is extraordinary." He seemed to look straight at Verity, Fred and George as he said this.

"Now, off to bed! You have learning to do tomorrow!" There was a loud, scrapping noise as benches were pushed and shoes hit the floor.

"First years! Over here, please!" A tall, pretty girl with long brown hair and freckles on her cheeks called down the table as the youngest students gathered sleepily around her.

"Come on-this way!" A boy with short, black hair motioned for the first years to follow him as the brown haired girl gathered more first years.

The two lead the first year Gryffindors down the deserted corridor and through several stairwells, once they even walked through a tapestry and down a secret hallway until they came to stop before a huge painting of a very fat lady.

"Password?" She croaked, blinking drunkenly.

The tall girl ignored her and turned to face the first years.

"I'm Abril Vicky and this is Shane Errens. We're the Gryffindor Prefects this year." She smiled smugly as she said the word _Prefect_, as if the job were the equivalent of the Minister of Magic.

"To get into the Gryffindor tower, you need the password, which changes periodically. Today the password is "_Andromeda."_

"Correct." Said the fat lady blearily, and the portrait swung forward, revealing a circular shaped hole.

"Before we enter, there are several rules that we must go through. Shane?" Abril turned to the dark haired boy, who pulled out a long scroll of parchment and cleared his throat.

"Rule number one, curfew is at seven thirty p.m. unless the student has a detention. Rule two-jumping from windows is forbidden. Rule three- Owls are _not_ allowed in the common room at any given time. Rule number four-there will be no smoking in the tower. Rule five-no fighting (magical dueling or otherwise). And, lastly, taunting the house elves is forbidden."

"Thank you, Shane." Abril stepped out of the way and motioned for the first years to move forward. "The girls dormitories are on the left, boys' are on the right. Goodnight everyone." She and Shane stepped through the portrait hole and made themselves comfortable in a coach near a fire place.

The first years stepped through cautiously into a cheery, circular room. There were merry fireplaces, squashy armchairs and bookshelves all around the room. Two staircases wound up from the ground and disappeared from sight.

"Well, goodnight then, Verity!" Fred called, as he, George, and Lee charged up the boy's staircase.

"Goodnight." She whispered as she followed several girls up the girl's dormitory staircase. The stairs wrapped around spirally past huge glass windows through which Verity could see every star in the sky twinkling. She thought of Will.

_Will._ Where had he been sorted, anyway? She had all but forgotten about him in her exploits to be sorted and accepted into her House. Where exactly had he gone? She hoped that he was happy and had made a friend or two. He had seemed so nice…

She stopped and rested her arms on the handrail, leaning to get a full view of the stars. She pressed her face against the glass.

_I wish that I will do well here at Hogwarts._ She thought, staring at one of the brightest stars to the left of the tower.

_I wish that my father will be proud to have a daughter in Gryffindor…and I wish…_

She paused, unsure of what to ask for last. She thought of Fred and George and how she wanted them to be her best friends in the world and not leave her.

_ I wish that I will find real friends here. _

She began to walk up the stairs once more, gazing still at the bright starlight that was shining through the glass. When she at last came to the door that bore the sign: _First years_ she became fully aware of how exhausted she was.

Verity pushed open the door to see a quaint but beautiful room that held six beds with red and gold hangings. Emblazoned on the domed ceiling was a huge gold and glittering tailed lion. There was a small balcony and a door that lead to the white, luxurious bathrooms. Across the room, Verity recognized her trunk tucked at the foot of a bed. She walked over to it and began to unpack her things into the small dresser that stood adjacent to the bed. The other five girls were already in the bathroom, brushing their teeth. Verity figured that they'd probably do the introductions after they were finished, and pulled on a pair of light blue pajamas as she stowed her sketchbook under the night table.

She sat on her bead and began to read _Hogwarts, A History._ She turned to the section labeled HEADMASTERS and found the picture of Albus Dumbledore, beneath which was a brief description.

_Albus Dumbledore, current Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

She read a list of Dumbledore's accomplishments before returning to her sketch of Fred and George.

"Hi Verity." Angelina Johnson walked over to Verity's bed and waved, smiling. "Did you have a good holiday?"

"Um, yeah, it was great. You?"

"Mine was quite nice as well. Who is that you're drawing?" Verity tried to close the book but Angie was too quick.

"Are those the Weasley boys in our year?" She asked excitedly. Verity nodded cautiously, she hated people looking at her work.

"They're _sooooo_ cute! You did a really good job on this! Where did you do this? On the train?" Angie could talk a mile a minute with her motor mouth-one of the reasons Verity had never really liked her.

"Yeah. We…er…sat together."

"Brilliant! Would it be any trouble to…introduce me?" She smiled up at Verity eagerly.

"Err…sure."

"Oh, thank you!" Angie squealed as she leaned forward to engulf Verity in a hug. "Maybe one of them will ask me out! Oh that would be soooo lovely!"

Verity decided not to mention the fact that there was nowhere to possibly go _out_ to. At least not until third year.

"Oh-wait-you haven't met anyone yet!" She excitedly dropped Verity's book onto the night table and pulled Verity to the center of the room, giggling as her dark hair flew out behind her.

"This is Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell!" She said happily, pointing to a fair skinned girl with light brown hair and a taller girl with short black hair, bangs and a pointed nose. "Hello." The girls said brightly as Verity waved back in response.

Verity was wheeled back around by Angie to face two more girls who were sitting on a bed and pouring over _Teen Witch Weekly_.

"This is Verity." Angie pushed Verity forward towards the girls.

"Hi." Verity said nervously.

"Hey. I'm Destiny, and this is my sister Zona." The fairer of the two said. She was quite pretty, with long blondish hair and tiny silver earrings that were daintily pressed into the lobes of her ears.

"Nice to meet you Verity." Zona smiled, revealing perfect, white teeth. She looked nothing like Destiny at all. She was equally as pretty, though, with her strawberry blonde hair and freckles. She was tanner than Destiny and looked slimmer.

"We're not twins." Destiny said in response to Verity's questioning look. "We're both adopted. And as for our names- our Mom's into divination and our Dad's an astronomer. They're both unspeakable in the Ministry of Magic." She smiled brightly.

"Oh. Cool."

"Are you a Gilderoy Lockhart fan?" Zona asked eagerly.

"I guess so." Said Verity, taken by surprise.

"We were just looking at an excerpt from his new book- _Gargoyles of Gavin_. It's supposed to be really good! I was just wondering if anyone would mind me putting up a Lockhart poster…"

"No, that'd be really cool!" Angie piped in.

"I absolutely _love Gilderoy!" _She jumped up and down, clapping her hands. They began to tape up a huge poster of a winking, smiling blond man in baby blue robes. Scrolled across the poster were the words: _Dark Magic Beware! He'll defeat you with his hair!_

Gilderoy winked every few seconds. There was a knock at the door and all the girls froze.

Abril peeked in. "You better go to bed soon, girls. You don't want to be late for class tomorrow, now, do you?" And with a satisfied smirk, she exited. Verity decided that she did not really like know-it-all Abril and her Prefect status.

"Well, goodnight everyone." Verity climbed into her bed and pulled the hangings around her bed so that Gilderoy would not watch her as she slept.

"G'night!" The girls called to one another as they tucked into bed. Verity pulled out her sketch book one last time to gaze at Fred and George's laughing faces. As the lights shut off and the room plunged into darkness she whispered one last wish before closing her eyes. She wasn't sure why she said it, but she knew that in her heart that it was what she really, really wanted. They'd been so nice. She had never had a best friend before, and she was fairly sure that the kind of comfort that she felt around them was what friendship felt like.

_ I wish that they'd be my best friends and never desert me._


	7. Fred Times Two

**So hello to all of you who have stuck with me for the past few months! I'm SOOOOOOOO epically sorry that I havent updated since February but I had a HUGE explosion of creative energy with my newest story: Spiraling Love, so the twins and Verity took a little holiday. This next chapter has been tuckes away in a little digital file for months so I figured I'd whip it out and crank out this story :P **

**So sorry if this is a bit boring, but I promise the story WILL get better! So, dear readers, enjoy! Prepare for Twininess and awesomeness! :D**

**I DONT OWN ANYTHING BUT THE PLOT :) Oh, and read Spiraling Love if you can! XD**

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_BRINNNGGGGG! _The tiny alarm clock next to Verity's bed rang out. She yawned and stretched, temporarily forgetting where she was.

In a sudden whirl of realization, Verity jumped up in her bed and did a secret victory dance, hidden behind the bed's hangings. _I'm finally here. Hogwarts. _

She burst from her bed and swung around to her trunk. She could hear the other girls getting ready in the bathrooms, all in various states of undress. After whipping out her perfectly hemmed and fitting robes, Verity looked to find a new brightly colored Gryffindor tie to wear on her blouse.

"Brilliant!" She breathed, admiring herself in one of the room's full length mirrors.

"You look almost as good as me!" Gildory called out from his poster. Verity rolled her eyes and taped a piece of sketchbook paper over his eyes.

Grabbing her bag, she quickly loaded a half a dozen books into her new school bag. Throwing in a bag of quills, ink, and parchment, her ensemble was complete. She pulled the bag over her shoulder and stared, contemplating, at her sketchbook and charcoals.

_I shouldn't take them, not today._ She thought. _I'll be doing so much…meeting so many people…anti-social artists never make friends…_ She hid the book under her mattress, lest anyone try to sneak a peek.

Checking her watch, she realized that she still had ten minutes till breakfast. Deciding to get a head start (she could not remember the way down to the Great Hall), she walked down the staircase as Zona walked out and saw a blinded Gilderoy.

As soon as she had emerged from the girls' staircase, she saw two brilliantly red haired boys waving at her enthusiastically.

"OI! VERITY!" One of the twins yelled, running towards the staircase. He pushed past his brother, who in turn pulled him to the ground. They scrambled over each other to get to her.

"We've been waiting for twenty minutes!" The one on the left pointed at his watch.

"I'd say at least thirty, actually." The right one smiled.

"Well, what do you know? Mum couldn't teach you how to read a clock till you were seven!"

"Aw, quit it. Sorry, he gets antsy when he's hungry." The brother on the right rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"You both were…waiting…for _me?"_ She smiled in disbelief.

"Well, of course. Why wouldn't we?" The brother on the left answered.

Verity thought through a couple of responses, but in the end decided to hold her tongue on the subject.

"So who's Fred and who's George?" She asked as they exited via the portrait hole.

"I'm Fred." Said the right one.

" 'An I'm George."

"So what took you so long, sleeping beauty?" Fred asked Verity, sliding down a staircase railing.

Verity blushed. "I was just packing my things up for the day, you know. And there was a really annoying Gilderoy Lockhart poster I had to take care of." She joked.

"Your room came with a Lockhart poster! Lucky!" George laughed. "All we got was a stupid 'pin the tail on the house elf game!"

"Hey, didn't that girl-April…Abby…whatsername, say that we shouldn't be provoking the elfish race?" Fred asked with mock concern.

"Abril, yeah. Pretty girl. I might just grace her with my affections." George said sarcastically.

Fred and Verity made "Ew" faces at him as they laughed.

"I think that kid Shane would beat you to pulp if you did." Verity giggled. Nerdy Shane would not stand a chance against either Fred or George. Against both of them, Shane was as good as buried.

After several wrong turns and a chance meeting with an anorexic-looking cat, Fred, George and Verity walked into the Great Hall for breakfast.

If Verity had thought that the Great Hall was beautiful at night, she soon realized that it was just as beautiful during the day. Sunlight and flecks of rainbow reflected through the large cathedral windows as hundreds of black-clad students sat down to eat.

They sat down to a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and porridge as a thin, old-looking witch with pursed lips swept up and down the Gryffindor table. She distributed white sheets of paper marked with class schedules.

"Who's that?" Verity looked to George, who was sitting on her left.

"Professor McGonagall-transfiguration teacher. She's our head of House… she sorted us last night well you were in the hospital wing." George said between bites.

The professor passed those minutes later, "Ah, more Weasley boys? I do hope you'll do as well as your older brothers have. William was one of my favorites." She raised her eyebrows, looking down at her list. "Who is Fred?"

George raised his hand. "I am." He flashed a knowing grin at Fred, who gave him thumbs up behind McGonagall's back.

"What are you talking about! I'm Fred!" Fred stood up and turned to the professor, stage-frowning.

"No, I distinctly remember you being George… Or are you Percy? Or maybe Charlie?" HE turned to Professor McGonagall. "Sorry, I have so many brothers I often forget who _I_ am myself." George grinned. "I think my name is Ginny."

Fred stared at him, pretending to be confused. "He's an idiot. Mum dropped him when we were younger…hasn't been the same since. I really am Fred. Could I please have my schedule, please?"

"Shut up! _I AM FREDRICK WEASELY!"_ George practically screamed out to the Great Hall. Verity bit back a laugh as the Hufflepuffs turned to stare from a table over.

Professor McGonagall stood firmly still, mouth pressed into a thin line. "Well, Mr. Fred Weasley's, I will be seeing both of you in detention tonight-my classroom."

She slammed two identical schedules onto the table-each labeled FRED WEASELEY. As she walked away, Fred and George High-fived over Verity's head.

"First day and we already got a detention-that's got to be a record!"

"And look at the papers-FRED WEASELY-at least we know she's got a sense of humor."

"You two are too much…" Verity took a bit of toast as she looked through her schedule.

"Looks like its transfiguration with McGonagall today…after…Potions with Snape?" Fred looked questioningly at the other two.

"I think I remember Bill mentioning him…he's supposed to be a greasy git with a finch's beak for a nose!" George mimed having a break with his hand as Verity and Fred packed up their schedules.

There was a scattering of teachers at the staff table, but none resembled George's description quite accurately.

Towards the end of the breakfast, a tall, bug-like woman dripping in shawls and beads walked down the center of the Great Hall and took a place at the table.

"Oh my god, I think I'm in love." George said, pointing at the woman whose eyes were magnified by her large glasses.

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**So...yeah. :D Please review I need some ideaz! :D**


	8. Xs and Os

**So...it's been a long time. Well, I'm really sorry for anyone who has wanted to follow this story but couldn't because I didn't update! All of my Fanfic energies in the past few months have been completely and irravocably dedicated to Spiraling Love. I'm most proud of this story 3 It started out as a one shot and escalated to 30,000 words. It's about a bunch of intertwined love stories around Hogwarts during James and Lily's time. If you can, please read it!**

**About this story: This chapter has been sitting around for months. I decided to post it anyway since it was part of the original story. But, from now on, I'm writing new stuff and will be updateing regularly (hopefully!) Thanks for your patience and enjoy! :)**

**(I only own the plot, not the characters or places affiliated with J.K. Rowling's books)**

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The Professor swept through the hall looking rather dazed. She waved her arms a few times as if she were an owl, and then sat down smiling at the staff table.

"Someone's had a little too much 'pump' in their pumpkin juice if you know what I mean…" Fred said from the corner of his mouth, elbowing George.

"_What!"_ whispered George, staring intently at the professor, trying to work out the pun.

"_She's been drinking you idjit!"_ Fred hissed back.

"Too much_ 'pump_' in her _pumpkin _juice! Where'd you hear that phrase? It's utterly ridiculous!" George grinned.

"Coined it myself. 'Code-words and phrases are essential to keeping secrets.' Read it in one of Percy's books." Fred took a bite of deviled egg.

"One of _Percy's _books! I didn't even know you _could_ read! And why would Percy have a book about secret codes?" George stole a piece of toast from Fred's plate.

"I learned how to read _before_ you! And I think you know why Percy has a secret code book…" Fred nodded suggestively at the Ravenclaw table.

"Wha-? Oh!" George was overcome with a rush of understanding.

"You see, George and I…erm… 'Intercepted' a particularly interesting letter written to Percy over the summer." Fred explained to Verity.

" 'Interesting' how?"

"It was a _love_ letter! It was all mushy and gross and had a lot of "Xs and Os" scribbled all over it…Blah!" Fred and George both scowled with disgust.

"And he found out…well, he saw us nick it so _obviously_ he found out…" George added.

"And now he only writes to his _Lady Friend_ in codes. We tried to translate them to spite him, but he changes them daily. He's like a super human when it comes to books and codes and languages…and basically anything that has to do with "learning." Biggest prat in the world, he is."


End file.
